Method and device for dividing a frequency signal

ABSTRACT

A method for dividing a frequency includes the steps of receiving a first signal having a first frequency as a clock input to a first digital counter and outputting a second signal as a clock input to a second digital counter having a higher counting capacity than the first counter. The output occurs when the first counter reaches a first number of count cycles. The method also includes generating a third signal having a high cycle and a low cycle, which are determined at least as a function of the first number of count cycles. Depending on a desired division ratio, the high and low cycles may also be a function of a second number of count cycles associated with the second counter. The third signal has a frequency lower than the first frequency.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Frequency dividers transform an analog or digital input signal into anoutput signal having a lower frequency. In the context of digital orradio-frequency electronics, it is sometimes desirable to divide a highfrequency input clock signal into one or more lower frequency outputsignals. A first conventional high speed divider, known as a pulseswallow divider, utilizes a dual modulus prescaler divider architecturewhich includes a combination of a high speed dual modulus prescalercoupled with a programmable B counter and a swallow A counter. Theprescaler operates at a high frequency while the A and B countersoperate based on the lower frequency output of the prescaler.

Disadvantages of the pulse swallow divider include a need for two slowspeed counters and an output which is not naturally symmetric, i.e., theduty cycle of the output is uneven. The output is usually at one phase,e.g., logic level HIGH, for a period equal to one prescaler output clockperiod, and in another phase, e.g., logic level LOW, for a period equalto that of an output clock of the B counter minus one period of theprescaler output clock. To produce a 50/50 duty cycle, an additionaldivide-by-2 circuit is necessary. However, this solution only works foreven division ratios. For odd ratios, additional duty cycle correctioncircuitry is needed, adding further complexity. Further, the divide-by-2circuit requires that the input clock and the output signal be relatedby a multiple of 2, causing a restricting effect on clock distributionchips, which often require the production of multiple outputfrequencies.

A second conventional divider utilizes a single high speed counter and aflip-flop which toggles its state when the counter reaches a selectableload value selected to correspond to a desired number of input clockcycles the flip-flop should remain in a HIGH or LOW state. Adisadvantage of the second divider is that a maximum depth—and thereforea division ratio—of the divider is limited by the speed of the counterand any associated control logic. Large counters also consume highamounts of power.

SUMMARY

A first exemplary embodiment of the present invention relates to amethod for dividing a frequency. The method includes: receiving a firstsignal having a first frequency as a clock input to a first digitalcounter; outputting a second signal as a clock input to a second digitalcounter having a higher counting capacity than the first counter, theoutput occurring when the first counter reaches a first number of countcycles; and generating a third signal having a high cycle and a lowcycle, which are determined at least as a function of the first numberof count cycles, the third signal having a frequency lower than thefirst frequency.

A second exemplary embodiment of the present invention relates to adevice for dividing a frequency. The device includes: a first digitalcounter configured to receive a first signal having a first frequency asa clock input; a second digital counter configured to receive a secondsignal as a clock input, the second counter having a higher countingcapacity than the first counter, the second signal being output when thefirst counter reaches a first number of count cycles; and an outputarrangement configured to generate a third signal having a high cycleand a low cycle, which are determined at least as a function of thefirst number of count cycles, the third signal having a frequency lowerthan the first frequency.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a device for dividing a frequency signalaccording to an example embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of a high speed counter according to anexample embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows a block diagram of a low speed counter according to anexample embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 shows a detailed schematic of the high speed counter of FIG. 2,according to an example embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 shows a detailed schematic of a counting arrangement of the highspeed counter of FIG. 4, according to an example embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 6 shows control logic of the counting arrangement of FIG. 5,according to an example embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 shows a detailed schematic of an individual bit of the countingarrangement of FIG. 5, according to an example embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 8 shows a detailed schematic of an output arrangement according toan example embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 shows a partial truth table along with control logic for theoutput arrangement of FIG. 8, according to an example embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 10 shows a detailed schematic of an adjustment arrangementaccording to an example embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 shows a method for dividing a frequency signal according to anexample embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

The present invention relates to methods and devices for dividingfrequency signals. Exemplary embodiments of the present invention aredescribed with reference to the division of a digital input signal intoa lower frequency output signal. The exemplary embodiments described maybe used to achieve high division ratios. In one embodiment, the outputsignal may default to a 50/50 duty cycle with the aid of a duty cycleadjustment arrangement which is enabled during odd division ratios.Further, the duty cycle and a phase offset of the output cycle may beadjustable by selecting appropriate counter load values. Thus, unevenduty cycles are also possible. The exemplary embodiments may also enablea bypass mode of operation whereby the input signal is propagatedwithout division (equivalent to divide-by-1). The present invention maybe utilized anywhere a frequency division is desired, for example, in aphase-locked loop. However, the present invention may be especiallyadvantageous in large scale circuits, e.g., circuits that generatemultiple clock signals at different frequencies from a common higherfrequency clock, and also where tight propagation delay matching betweensignal paths associated with bypass and division modes is required.Although the exemplary embodiments are shown as Complementary MetalOxide Semiconductor (CMOS) implementations, other digital logicfamilies, e.g., current mode logic (CML) or transistor-transistor logic(TTL), may also be used, either alone or in combination, to implementthe present invention.

FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a device 101 for dividing a frequencysignal according to an example embodiment of the present invention. Thedevice 101 is configured to receive a digital clock signal, CLK as inputand produce an output signal 59 which is a divided version of the CLKsignal. The device 101 may include a buffer 10, a high speed counter(HSC) 20, a low speed counter (LSC) 30, a duty cycle adjustmentarrangement 40, and an XOR gate 50.

The CLK signal may be any digital signal having a frequency, including,for example, a signal from a reference clock in an electronic system ora digitized version of an analog signal from an oscillation circuit. Asshown in FIG. 1, the CLK signal is input to the buffer 10, which may beconfigured to, if necessary, boost a signal strength of the CLK signal.A buffered output is input to the HSC 20 as a divider clock signal,div_clk 12.

The HSC 20 is connected to the LSC 30 and an output signal of the HSC20, state_buf 29 is connected to the adjustment arrangement 40. The HSC20 may be any digital counter configured to count based on a selectableload value, where a length of each count cycle is determined by thesignal div_clk 12. In one embodiment, the HSC 20 may be a count downcounter, however it may also be possible to implement the HSC 20 as anytype of counter, e.g., a count up or a gray code counter. The same istrue for the LSC 30. For example, in an alternative embodiment onecounter may count up and the other down. Each count cycle of the HSC 20may correspond to a single period of the CLK signal. Starting from theload value, a count value of the HSC 20 may decrement, e.g., decrease byone, in response to transitions between clock periods. This may occur oneither a rising edge or a falling edge of the CLK signal.

The LSC 30 may be a count down counter with a larger counting capacitythan the HSC 20. In one embodiment, the HSC 20 includes a three-bitcounter while the LSC 30 includes a 27-bit counter. The LSC 30 mayreceive, as an input clock, a clock output of the HSC 20. Because theinput clock of the LSC 30 is the clock output of the HSC 20, the LSC 30counts at a slower rate than the HSC 20. The LSC 30 clock output may begenerated each time the HSC 20 reaches its maximum number of countcycles, determined by the load value. Each time the maximum number ofcount cycles of the HSC 20 is reached, e.g., whenever the HSC 20 reacheszero, the LSC 30 may decrement by a set value, e.g., one. Like the HSC20, the LSC 30 may also count beginning from a selectable load value.Because the LSC 30 runs at a much lower speed, this allows the LSC 30 tohave a greater depth, e.g., 27 bits as opposed to 3. The large depthenables large division ratios. As will be explained, when a desireddivision ratio exceeds a threshold value, the counting of both the HSC20 and the LSC 30 are used to determine the output signal 59 of thedevice 101. When the desired division ratio does not exceed thethreshold, only the counting of the HSC 20 may affect the output signal59.

The following equations describe the behavior of the HSC 20 and LSC 30:

When the division ratio is at or below the threshold value (2*2^(K)):HI=floor((R−1)/2)LO=floor(R/2)LHI and LLO=0

When the division ratio exceeds 2*2^(K):HI=floor((R−1)/2)%(M+1)+(M+1)LO=floor(R/2)%(M+1)+(M+1)LHI=floor((R−1)/2^(K))−1LLO=floor(R/2^(K))−1

Where,

-   -   K is equal to the number of bits of the HSC 20,    -   R is equal to the desired division ratio, D, minus one (R=D−1),    -   HI is the load value of HSC 20 at the beginning of a high phase        cycle,    -   LO is the load value of the HSC 20 at the beginning of a low        phase cycle,    -   LHI is the load value of LSC 30 during the HIGH phase of the        output cycle,    -   LLO is the load value of the LSC 30 during the low phase of the        output cycle,    -   M is the minimum number of input clock cycles between each LSC        clock output, e.g. M=2^(K−1)−1, and    -   % is the modulus operator.

The minimum number of input clock cycles between LSC clock outputs, Mmay be any integer value greater than 1 and is selected to prevent thecounters 20, 30 from outputting too quickly relative to the CLK signal.Each time the HSC 20 reaches zero, the value of M is loaded as a defaultload value if the LSC 30 has not reached zero as well. However, if theHSC 20 reaches zero and the LSC 30 has also reached zero, either the HIvalue or the LO value is loaded into the HSC 20 preset, while thecorresponding LHI or LLO value is loaded into the LSC 30. The state ofthe output signal 59 determines which value is loaded, where HI and LHIwill be loaded if the current output state is a logic LOW and LO and LLOwill be loaded if the current output state is a logic HIGH. The resultis that the HIGH and LOW phases of the output signal 59 are generated byadding a specific number of input clock cycles to each subsequent outputphase in order to obtain a desired division, where the number of cyclesadded is a function of the load or default values (e.g., HI+1 or LO+1when the threshold is not exceeded). In this regard, LHI and LLO may beviewed as the number of extra times the HSC 20 is cycled in eachrespective HIGH and LOW divider output phase. The value of M may beexperimentally determined or based on a known operating speed of thecounters 20, 30. Another factor that may influence the selection of M isthe speed of the input clock, e.g., the div_clk signal 12. In thisembodiment, the value of M is equal to 2^(K−1)−1, however any suitablevalue may be chosen.

A total output period, Tout, is:Tout[2+(HI+(M+1)*LHI)+(LO+(M+1)*LLO)]*Tclk, where Tclk is the period ofCLK signal.

Based on the equations above, it may be seen that Tout has an even dutycycle, i.e., 50/50, when the division ratio D is an even number.However, the duty cycle is uneven whenever the division ratio is odd. Asan illustrative example, in the situation when the division ratio D is4, the threshold value (2*2³) is not exceeded and the HIGH phase isequal to floor(2/2) or 1, while the LOW phase is equal to floor(3/2)or 1. When the division ratio is 5, the HIGH phase is equal tofloor(3/2) or 1, while the LOW phase is equal to floor(4/2) or 2. Thus,the HIGH and LOW phases do not match when the division ratio is odd.

The uneven duty cycle may be corrected by the adjustment arrangement 40,which, as will be described, may be implemented with much lesscomplexity than the duty cycle correction circuits associated withconventional dividers. The adjustment arrangement 40 may be anycombination of circuit components needed to adjust a duty cycle of theoutput generated by the counters 20, 30. Output of the adjustmentarrangement, e.g., an adjusted output signal 47, may be provided to theXOR gate 50. Details of the adjustment arrangement 40 will be providedfurther below.

The XOR gate 50 functions as an inverter when coupled with an inversioncontrol signal 49. The signal 49, when asserted, forces the output ofthe NOR gate, output signal 59, LOW if the adjusted output signal 47 isHIGH and HIGH when the adjusted output signal 47 is LOW. Thus, theoutput signal 59 is equivalent to the adjusted output signal 47 when thesignal 49 is not asserted, and has opposite logic values to those of theadjusted output signal 47 when the signal 49 is asserted.

Exemplary embodiments of the various components of the device 101 willnow be described. In the example embodiments, the LSC 30 includescontrol logic configured to control the operation of the counters 20,30. Additionally, output generated by the HSC 20 may be processed, e.g.,by an output arrangement such as a flip-flop, to generate a preliminaryoutput signal as input to the adjustment arrangement 40. Conceptually,the output arrangement, and any other pre-adjustment processingcomponents, may be included as part of the HSC 20. It will beunderstood, however, that the control logic and the pre-adjustmentprocessing components may be located almost anywhere within the device101 and need not be tied, either physically or conceptually, to the HSC20 or the LSC 30.

FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of the HSC 20 according to an exampleembodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, input signalsto the HSC 20 may include the div_clk signal 12, a reset signal 25, anda bypass signal 27. The reset signal 25 may be a master reset and, whenasserted, results in a resetting of the count value of the HSC 20, e.g.,to a default load value. The bypass signal 27, when asserted, results ina disabling of counting in the HSC 20, so that division does not occur.Other inputs may include a prescale_only signal 22, a decode_H signal24, a decode_L signal 26, a toggle signal 37, and a set_state signal 21.The prescale_only signal 22 is a control signal which is asserted whenthe division ratio does not exceed the threshold value. As explainedbelow, the prescale_only signal 22 controls whether the HSC 20 outputsits current state to the LSC 30. The decode_H and decode_L signals 24,26, respectively correspond to load values for the HSC 20 calculated inaccordance with the equations for HI and LO previously described. In theembodiment shown, the signals 24, 26 are each 3-bits to match thecounter of the HSC 20.

Outputs of the HSC 20 may include the state_buf signal 29, which isconnected to the adjustment arrangement 40, a prestate signal 33, and astate signal 35.

The set_state signal 21 controls the output arrangement. In particular,the set_state signal 21 may be a set input to a flip-flop. The set_statesignal 21 may be produced by the LSC 30 and can be used to set theinitial starting phase of an output signal of the flip-flop, e.g., theflip-flop's output will be logic LOW if the reset signal 25 is appliedto the flip flop, however, if set_state signal 21 is asserted at a timeafter the reset signal 25, then it will be HIGH. The prestate signal 33functions as the output clock of the HSC 20 and, as previouslydescribed, controls counting of the LSC 30. The prestate signal 33 maybe asserted whenever the counter of the HSC 20 reaches zero. The statesignal 35 represents a current state (e.g., HIGH or LOW) of theflip-flop and may be output to the LSC 30 in order to indicate thecurrent state of the output to the LSC 30 so that the LSC 30 candetermine what presets to load, e.g., whether the HI and LHI or LO andLLO values will be loaded for the next cycle after the HSC 20 and LSC 30reach zero.

FIG. 3 shows a block diagram of the LSC 30 according to an exampleembodiment of the present invention. In one embodiment, the LSC 30 maybe implemented at least partially using synthesized logic. For example,the control logic may be written in a hardware description language suchas Verilog. In alternative embodiments, the LSC 30 may be implementedwith discrete logic components and other digital components. Forillustration purposes, the LSC 30 will only be described as a blockcomponent, since the actual implementation of the LSC 30 is relativelystraight-forward in view of the functionality of the LSC 30 describedherein.

As shown in FIG. 3, inputs of the LSC 30 may include the prestate signal33 and the state signal 35 described above. Further inputs may include aratio signal 36, and the reset signal 25. The reset signal 25 may havethe same function as described previously in reference to the HSC 20. Inparticular, the reset signal 25 resets a count value of the LSC 30.

In another embodiment, a further input of the LSC 30 may include astarting phase signal that indicates the phase of the initial signal outof the divider. The starting phase signal may be a word value used tomake two parallel dividers that are set to the same division start upwith a different phase relationship. For example, it may be desirable towait a few extra input clock cycles before toggling the output signal ofa first divider by using a different initial value for HI, LHI or LO,LLO that is calculated using the starting_phase signal of a seconddivider. By selecting different preset values, each divider may have aprogrammable initial output phase.

Output of the LSC 30 may include the prescale_only signal 22, thedecode_H signal 24, the decode_L signal 26, an odd signal 31, the togglesignal 37, the bypass signal 27, and the set_state signal 21 (notshown). The odd signal 31 indicates whether the division ratio is odd oreven, and may be used to control the adjustment arrangement 40 tocorrect the duty cycle when the division ratio is odd. The toggle signal37 may be output to the HSC 20 to control toggling of the flip-flop, andmay be asserted whenever the count value of the LSC 30 reaches zero. TheLSC 30 may set the bypass signal high when the divider is set to divideby 1 (e.g. R=0).

FIG. 4 shows a detailed schematic of the HSC 20 according to an exampleembodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 4, the HSC 20 mayinclude an OR gate 100, a counter 110, an XOR gate 120, and theflip-flop, e.g., a flip-flop 130. The OR gate 100 receives the resetsignal 25 and the bypass signal 27 as input. The OR gate 100 produces anoutput signal, reset_or_bypass 111 which is connected to the counter110.

The counter 10 may include, as inputs, the toggle signal 37, thedecode_H signal 24, the decode_L signal 26, the prescale_only signal 22,the div_clk signal 12, and the reset_or_bypass signal 111. The counter110 may output the prestate signal 33, the state signal 35, and atogglenow signal 319, which is provided as an input to the XOR gate 120.

The XOR gate 120 performs an exclusive or function using two inputs: thetogglenow signal 319 and the state_buf signal 29. The bypass signal 27is input to the XOR gate 120 as a control signal which forces the XORgate output to a logic HIGH when the divider is in bypass mode.

The flip-flop 130 receives as its D input an output signal, next_state129 of the NOR gate 120. The div_clk 12 signal may be used as a clockinput of the flip-flop 130. The flip-flop 130 also receives the bypasssignal 27, the reset signal 25, and the set_state signal 21 as controlinputs. Outputs of the flip-flop 130 include a Q output 107, an invertedoutput, QB, which is used as the stateb signal 105, and the state_bufsignal 29, which is a buffered version of the Q signal 107. Based onthis arrangement, it can be seen that when the togglenow signal 319 isasserted, the next_state signal 129 will be the opposite of the currentstate of the flip-flop 130, as indicated by the state_buf signal 29.Effectively, the togglenow signal 319 functions to switch the next_statesignal 129 from HIGH to LOW and vice versa, thereby defining the HIGHand LOW phases of what will eventually become the output signal 59 ofthe device 101.

FIG. 5 shows a detailed schematic of the counter 110 according to anexample embodiment of the present invention. The counter 110 includes3-bits, each of which may be implemented using any programmable memoryelement configured to perform counting. In the embodiment shown, eachbit includes high, low, and default load inputs, a clock input, set andreset control inputs, and a 1-bit output. As shown in FIG. 5, counterbits 112, 114, and 116 may respectively have high load inputs 120, 121,and 122, low load inputs 130, 131, and 132, default load inputs 140,141, and 142, clock inputs 113, set inputs 115, and reset inputs 117.Each counter bit 112, 114, and 116 may produce a pair of complementary,1-bit memory outputs, e.g., 200 and 201, 210 and 211, and 220 and 221,respectively. The order of the counter bits, from least significant tomost significant, is 112, 114, and 116.

The stateb signal 105 may be input to an inverter 102, which is enabledby a pob signal 90 and produces the state signal 35, thereby propagatingthe current state of the flip-flop 130 to the LSC 30 when the pob signal90 is asserted, e.g., when the division ratio exceeds the threshold. Thepob signal 90 is an inversion of the prescale_only signal 22.

The set input 115 may be tied to ground, as it is not used in thisembodiment. The reset inputs 115 are connected to the reset_or_bypasssignal 111. The clock inputs 113 may be connected to the div_clk signal12. Each counter bit 112, 114, and 116 may also receive a zero signal240, a zerob signal 242, a next signal, e.g., signals 201, 230, and 232,respectively, and the stateb signal 105, as control inputs which will bedescribed below with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7.

The counter 110 may include a latch, e.g., a D-flip-flop 118, whichreceives the div_clk signal 12 as a clock input, and the zero signal 240as its D input. A Q output of the D-flop-flop 118 is connected to abuffer 104 which is enabled by the pob signal 90 and produces theprestate signal 33, thereby sending the clock (prestate signal 33) tothe LSC 30 when the HSC 20 reaches zero.

FIG. 6 shows control logic of the counter 110 according to an exampleembodiment of the present invention. The counter control logic may beused to generate various control signals previously described, and mayinclude a combination OR-NOR gate 310 a NOR gate 312, an XOR gate 314,and a combination circuit 316 which includes an OR gate 320 incombination with an NAND gate 322. Although the control logic has beenshown separately for illustration purposes, it will be understood thatother methods of implementing the counter control logic, e.g., bycombining logic gates, are also possible.

The OR-NOR gate 310 receives the first memory output of each counter bitas input, e.g., bits 200, 210, and 220, and produces an OR output, e.g.,the zerob signal 242, along with a NOR output, e.g., the zero signal240. Thus, the zero signal 240 indicates whether the current value ofthe counter 110 is zero and the zerob signal 242 is the complement ofthe zero signal 240.

The NOR gate 312 receives, in addition to the first memory outputs 200,210 and 220, a toggleb signal 213 as input. The toggleb signal 213 isessentially the complement of the toggle signal 37 output by the LSC 30.The NOR gate 312 produces the togglenow signal 319 as output. Thus, thetogglenow signal 319 is asserted when both the HSC 20 and the LSC 30 arezero, as indicated respectively by the first memory outputs 200, 210 and220, and the toggle signal 213.

The next signals 201, 230, and 232 respectively represent the next valueof the counter bits 112, 114, and 116. The signal 201 is the secondmemory output, e.g., an inverted output, of the counter bit 112. Thenext signals 230 and 232 are respectively produced by the XOR gate 314and the combination circuit 316.

The XOR gate 314 receives the second memory output 201 and the firstmemory output 210 as input and produces the next signal 230 as output.

The combination circuit 316 receives the second memory output 201 andthe second memory output 211 as inverted inputs to the OR gate 320. TheNAND gate 322 receives the output of the OR gate 320 and an invertedversion of the second memory output 221 as input. Output of the NANDgate 322 is inverted by an inverter 324 to produce the next signal 232.

FIG. 7 shows a detailed schematic of an individual counter bit 500according to an example embodiment of the present invention. The counterbit 500 may be used to implement the counter bits 112, 114, and 116, andincludes a multiplexer (mux) 330, a mux 340, and a flip-flop, e.g., aD-flip-flop 350.

The mux 330 receives a high load value 332, a low load value 334, and adefault load value 336 as inputs. The stateb signal 105 and the togglebsignal 213 are used to select from among the inputs of the mux 330.

A selected input of the mux 330 is received as an input 339 to the mux340 along with a next signal 342, e.g., one of the next signals 201,230, and 232. The zero signal 240 and the zerob signal 242 are used toselect from among the inputs of the mux 340.

A selected input of the mux 340 is received as a D input 349 of theD-flip-flop 350, which is clocked by the div_clk signal 12. A set input352 and a reset input 354 of the D-flip-flop 350 are asynchronous inputsrespectively corresponding to the set input 115 and the reset input 117of a counter bit. The D-flip-flop produces complementary outputs 357 and359, e.g., the first and second memory outputs of each counter bit 112,114, and 116.

FIG. 8 shows a detailed schematic of the flip-flop 130 according to anexample embodiment of the present invention. The flip-flop 130 may be apositive edge-triggered master-slave flip-flop implemented usingtransmission gates 51, 53, 55, and 57, and NAND gates 52, 54, 56, and58. The flip-flop 130 may also include an inverter 95. The div_clksignal 12 is used as an active-high control input to the transmissiongates 53 and 55, and as an active-low control input to the transmissiongates 51 and 57. A signal 19 is the complement of the div clk signal 12and used as an active-high control input to the transmission gates 51and 57, and as an active-low control input to the transmission gates 53and 55.

An input of the flip-flop 130, e.g., the next_state signal 129, isreceived at the transmission gate 51, an output of which is connected toa first input of the NAND gate 54, which receives a master_reset_bar(MRB) signal 42 as a second input. Output of the NAND gate 54 isconnected to a first input of the NAND gate 52 and an input of thetransmission gate 55. The NAND gate 52 receives a master_set_bar (MSB)signal 44 as a second input. Output of the NAND gate 52 is connected toan input of the transmission gate 53. Output of the transmission gate 53is connected the first input of the NAND gate 54. Output of thetransmission gate 55 is connected to a first input of the NAND gate 58,which receives a slave-set_bar (SSB) signal 46. Output of the NAND gate58 is used as a Q output of the flip-flop 130, e.g., the Q signal 107,which is also connected to the inverter 95 to produce a complementaryoutput, QB, e.g., the stateb signal 105. The Q signal 107 is alsoconnected to a first input of the NAND gate 56, which receives aslave_reset_bar (SRB) signal 48 as a second input. Output of the NANDgate 56 is connected to the transmission gate 57, which is in turnconnected to the first input of the NAND gate 58. The MRB signal 42 andthe SRB signal 48 may be complements of the reset signal 25. The MSBsignal 44 and the SSB signal 46 may be complements of the set_statesignal 21.

FIG. 9 shows a partial truth table 550 and control logic for theflip-flop 130 of FIG. 8, according to an example embodiment of thepresent invention. The set_state signal 21 is inverted to form a setbsignal 270 as the SSB input. The reset signal 25 is inverted to form aresetb signal 250 as the MRB input. The bypass signal 27 and the setbsignal 270 are input to a NAND gate 510 to form an msb signal 280 as theMSB input. The bypass signal 27 and the reset signal 25 are input to aNOR gate 512 to form an srb signal 290 as the SRB input. The Q and QBoutputs of the flip-flop 130 are generated in accordance with the truthtable 550. The QB output may also be inverted to form a buffered outputsignal, Q_buffered 109, e.g., the state_buf signal 29 of FIG. 4.

The truth table 550 illustrates how the flip-flop 130 can be switchedbetween division and bypass modes through independent control of the MRBsignal 42, the MSB signal 44, the SSB signal 46, and the SRB signal 48.During a normal division mode, the reset signal 25 and the bypass signal27 are zero (logic level LOW) while the MRB signal 42, SRB signal 48,MSB signal 44, and SSB signal 46 are all one (logic level HIGH). Bypassmode is enabled by setting the bypass signal to one and respectivelysetting the MRB signal 42, the SRB signal 48, the MSB signal 44, and theSSB signal 46 to one, zero, zero, and one. During the bypass mode, the Dinput 129 is forced HIGH by the XOR gate 120 so that the NAND gate 54always receives a logic HIGH whenever the transmission gate 51 isengaged. Because MSB=0, the output of the NAND gate 52 is always HIGH,so the NAND gate 54 receives a logic HIGH whenever the transmission gate53 is engaged. Therefore, the output of the NAND gate 54 is always LOWso the master latch in the flip flop 130 is always driving a logic LOWinto the transmission gate 55 (e.g., the slave latch).

In the case of the slave latch, the SSB=1 means that the NAND gate 58follows (and inverts) its input, while the SRB=0 means the NAND gate 56has a logic HIGH on its output. As the transmission gates 55 and 57 aretoggled by the clock 19, an input to the NAND gate 58 changes from alogic LOW (gate 55 engaged) to a logic HIGH (gate 57 engaged) at exactlythe same time as the input clock 19. An advantage to implementing thebypass mode in this manner is that since the slave latch is nowoperating as a buffer using the NAND gate 58, the NAND gate 58's inputis being toggled between logic HIGH and LOW in the same manner and usingthe same transmission gates as would occur in a non-bypass mode (e.g.,normal division). Therefore, the propagation delays for aligned edgesshould match in both modes.

FIG. 10 shows a detailed schematic of the adjustment arrangement 40according to an example embodiment of the present invention. Theadjustment arrangement 40 may include a latch, e.g., a D-latch 610, andan OR gate 612. FIG. 10 also shows exemplary control logic for theadjustment arrangement 40, including an inverter 614 connected to aninput of an OR gate 616. The inverter 614 receives the odd signal 31 asinput. The OR gate 616, in addition to the output of the inverter 614,receives the reset signal 25 and the bypass signal 27 as input, andproduces an even_or_reset signal 600 as output.

The D-latch 610 receives the state_buf signal 29 generated by theflip-flop 130 of the HSC 20. The D-latch 610 is enabled by the div_clksignal 12 and receives the even_or_reset signal 600 as a reset input.Output of the D-latch 610 is connected to a second input of the OR gate612, which receives the state_buf signal 29 as a first input andproduces the adjusted output signal 47. In this configuration, theD-latch 610 is reset when the division ratio is even, bypass mode isactive, or the reset signal 25 is asserted. An edge triggering of theD-latch 610 is opposite that of the HSC 20. For example, if the HSC 20is rising edge-triggered, then the D-latch 610 is falling-edgetriggered. As a result, when the division ratio is odd, the D-latch 610samples the state_buf signal 29 on a triggering (e.g., falling) edge ofthe div_clk signal 12 and keeps the current value of the state_bufsignal 29 until the next triggering edge. This enables the OR gate 612to perceive the state_buf signal 29 for an extra half cycle.Effectively, this configuration extends the perceived HIGH phase of thestate_buf signal 29 by a half cycle while shortening the perceived LOWphase of the state_buf signal 29 by a half cycle.

Although other duty cycle adjustment arrangements exist and specificimplementations will vary, e.g., based on how the load values arecalculated, it will be appreciated that the embodiment shown in FIG. 10is simple to implement. For example, since an OR gate can be implementedin CMOS by simple modifications to an inverter, and since an inverter isoften already being used as a fan-out buffer, implementing theadjustment arrangement 40 may require minimal additional hardware, and,as a result, there may be little impact on the jitter of the outputsignal 59.

As described above, programmable phase offsets may be achieved usingdifferent initial presets. For example, using a different LO presetvalue so that the HSC 20 starts counting down from a different valuewhen the division ratio does not exceed the threshold. Using differentLHI, LLO, HI and LO presets for the first output clock cycle wouldresult in the first cycle out of the counter having a different periodthan the later cycles. In addition, phase offsets may also be programmedusing different initial default values. One method of implementingdifferent presets during the first cycle is to add a phase word to thedivision ratio (e.g., phase+ratio, where phase=0 means no adjustment)and then decode the preset values in the same manner as previouslydescribed. After the counter has finished the first cycle, normal valuesfor LHI, LLO, HI and LO are then used as the presets. This may becombined with additional circuitry used to gate off the first outputclock cycle (e.g., by waiting until the first falling edge of the outputbefore enabling a buffer), so that it looks like the output clock didnot go through the first cycle. Yet another method for programming phaseoffsets is to adjust the starting phase using one or more of theset_state and reset signals 21, 25, the presets, and the default values.For example, the set_state signal 21 and the reset signal 25 may be usedin combination with the presets. Further combinations are also possible.

In addition to phase offsets, different duty cycles may be programmed byadjusting the equations described above with reference to the operationof the HSC 20 and the LSC 30. The equations may be adjusted in a mannerthat maintains the same total division while giving amounts of time toeach output phase. The equations may be adjusted by, for example, usingpresets and/or default values for the HSC 20 and the LSC 30 that differfrom those in the original equations. The equations may also be adjustedby dynamically changing the presets and/or default values used fromcycle to cycle. As an illustrative example, when the division ratio isbelow the threshold, the equations may be adjusted by using HI=2 andLO=0, resulting in a division of (HI+1)+(LO+1)=4 with a 75/25 dutycycle.

FIG. 11 shows a method 700 for dividing a frequency signal according toan example embodiment of the present invention. The method 700 may beimplemented using the device 101 and any of the exemplary embodiments ofits components previously described. In 710, an input clock signal,e.g., the div_clk signal 12, may be received at an HSC.

In 712, it may be determined whether the bypass mode has been activated.

If the bypass mode is activated, then the method 700 proceeds to 714,where the output arrangement, e.g., the flip-flop 130, may be configuredto a bypass mode such that an output of the output arrangement is theequivalent of the input clock.

If the bypass mode is not activated, then the method 700 proceeds to716, where it may be determined whether the division ratio exceeds thethreshold ratio.

If the threshold ratio is exceeded, then the method proceeds to 718,where only the HSC is enabled. The method 700 then proceeds to 722.

In 722, load values for the HSC may be determined, e.g., the HI and LOvalues, and counting begins. The method 700 then proceeds to 724.

In 724, an output signal may be toggled when the HSC reaches apredetermined number of count cycles according to the load values. Thismay occur, for example, by toggling the flip-flop 130 when the HSCreaches zero. The method 700 then proceeds to 736.

If the threshold ratio is not exceeded, then the method proceeds to 730,where both the HSC and a LSC clocked by the HSC are enabled. The method700 then proceeds to 732.

In 732, load values for the HSC and the LSC may be determined, e.g., theHI, LO, LHI, and LLO values, and counting begins in both the HSC and theLSC. The method 700 then proceeds to 734.

In 734, the output signal may be toggled when both the HSC and the LSCreach predetermined number of count cycles according to the load values.This may occur, for example, by toggling the flip-flop 130 when both theHSC and the LSC reach zero. The method 700 then proceeds to 736.

In 736, it may be determined whether the division ratio is odd-valued.If the division ratio is even, then an output of the division may beobtained from the output arrangement in 738. However, if the divisionratio is odd, then the output of the division may be obtained byapplying a duty cycle adjustment arrangement to the output of the outputarrangement in 740.

In the preceding specification, the present invention has been describedwith reference to specific example embodiments thereof. It will,however, be evident that various modifications and changes may be madethereunto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of thepresent invention as set forth in the claims that follow. Theembodiments described herein may be presented combined with each otherin various combinations. The specification and drawings are accordinglyto be regarded in an illustrative rather than restrictive sense.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for dividing a frequency, comprising:receiving a first signal having a first frequency as a clock input to afirst digital counter; receiving a desired division ratio as a digitallyinput number; outputting a second signal as a clock input to a seconddigital counter having a higher counting capacity than the firstcounter, the output occurring when the first counter reaches a firstnumber of count cycles; and generating a third signal having a highcycle and a low cycle, which are determined at least as a function ofthe first number of count cycles, the third signal having, in accordancewith the desired division ratio, a frequency lower than the firstfrequency, wherein the high and low cycles of the third signal aredetermined as a function of the first number of count cycles, and not asecond number of count cycles associated with the second counter, when avalue of the desired division ratio does not exceed a predeterminedthreshold division ratio value, and as a function of both the firstnumber of count cycles and the second number of count cycles when thevalue of the desired division ratio exceeds the threshold division ratiovalue.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the threshold division ratiovalue is equal to 2*2^(k), where k is equal to the number of bits in thefirst counter.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and secondnumber of count cycles correspond to respective load values of the firstand second counters.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the third signalhas a native 50/50 duty cycle when the desired division ratio iseven-valued.
 5. The method of claim 1, further comprising: adjustingdurations of the high and low cycles of the third signal to create a50/50 duty cycle when the desired division ratio is odd-valued.
 6. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the first counter is a 3-bit counter.
 7. Themethod of claim 1, further comprising: programming a duty cycle of thethird signal by at least one of adjusting a load value of at least oneof the counters and adjusting a default value of at least one of thecounters.
 8. A method for dividing a frequency, comprising: receiving afirst signal having a first frequency as a clock input to a firstdigital counter; outputting a second signal as a clock input to a seconddigital counter having a higher counting capacity than the firstcounter, the output occurring when the first counter reaches a firstnumber of count cycles; generating a third signal having a high cycleand a low cycle, which are determined at least as a function of thefirst number of count cycles, the third signal having a frequency lowerthan the first frequency, wherein the high and low cycles of the thirdsignal are determined as a function of the first number of count cycleswhen a desired division ratio does not exceed a threshold value, and asa function of both the first number of count cycles and a second numberof count cycles associated with the second counter when the desireddivision ratio exceeds the threshold value; when the threshold value isnot exceeded, toggling the third signal between high and low values whenthe first number of count cycles is reached; and when the thresholdvalue is exceeded, toggling the third signal between the high and lowvalues only when both the first number of count cycles and the secondnumber of count cycles are reached.
 9. A method for dividing afrequency, comprising: receiving a first signal having a first frequencyas a clock input to a first digital counter; outputting a second signalas a clock input to a second digital counter having a higher countingcapacity than the first counter, the output occurring when the firstcounter reaches a first number of count cycles; generating a thirdsignal having a high cycle and a low cycle, which are determined atleast as a function of the first number of count cycles, the thirdsignal having a frequency lower than the first frequency; and adjustingdurations of the high and low cycles of the third signal to create a50/50 duty cycle when the desired division ratio is odd-valued, whereinthe adjusting is performed by latching the third signal using the firstsignal as a clock input to a latch, anedge-triggering of the clock inputof the latch being opposite that of the clock input to the firstcounter.
 10. The method of claim 9, further comprising: generating afinal output signal by performing a logical OR operation on the thirdsignal and the latched third signal.
 11. A method for dividing afrequency, comprising: receiving a first signal having a first frequencyas a clock input to a first digital counter; outputting a second signalas a clock input to a second digital counter having a higher countingcapacity than the first counter, the output occurring when the firstcounter reaches a first number of count cycles; and generating a thirdsignal having a high cycle and a low cycle, which are determined atleast as a function of the first number of count cycles, the thirdsignal having a frequency lower than the first frequency, wherein thethird signal is generated by a master-slave flip-flop selectivelyconfigured to operate between a first mode in which an output of theflip-flop is the third signal and a second mode in which an output ofthe flip-flop matches the first signal.
 12. The method of claim 11,further comprising: switching between the first and second modes byindependently controlling set and reset inputs of a master latch and aslave latch of the flip-flop in conjunction with controlling an input ofthe master latch.
 13. A method for dividing a frequency, comprising:receiving a first signal having a first frequency as a clock input to afirst digital counter; outputting a second signal as a clock input to asecond digital counter having a higher counting capacity than the firstcounter, the output occurring when the first counter reaches a firstnumber of count cycles; generating a third signal having a high cycleand a low cycle, which are determined at least as a function of thefirst number of count cycles, the third signal having a frequency lowerthan the first frequency; programming a phase offset of the third signalby at least one of controlling a set input of at least one of thecounters; controlling a reset input of at least one of the counters;adjusting a load value of at least one of the counters; and adjusting adefault value of at least one of the counters.
 14. A device for dividinga frequency, comprising: a first digital counter configured to receive afirst signal having a first frequency as a clock input; a second digitalcounter configured to: receive a second signal as a clock input, thesecond counter having a higher counting capacity than the first counter,the second signal being output when the first counter reaches a firstnumber of count cycles, and receive a desired division ratio as adigitally input number; and an output arrangement configured to generatea third signal having a high cycle and a low cycle, which are determinedat least as a function of the first number of count cycles, the thirdsignal having, in accordance with the desired division ratio, afrequency lower than the first frequency, wherein the high and lowcycles of the third signal are determined as a function of the firstnumber of count cycles, and not a second number of count cyclesassociated with the second counter, when a value of the desired divisionratio does not exceed a predetermined threshold division ratio value,and as a function of both the first number of count cycles and thesecond number of count cycles when the value of the desired divisionratio exceeds the threshold division ratio value.
 15. The device ofclaim 14, wherein the threshold division ratio value is equal to2*2^(k), where k is equal to the number of bits in the first counter.16. The device of claim 14, wherein the first and second number of countcycles correspond to respective load values of the first and secondcounters.
 17. The device of claim 14, wherein the third signal has anative 50/50 duty cycle when the desired division ratio is even-valued.18. The device of claim 14, further comprising: a duty cycle adjustmentarrangement configured to adjust durations of the high and low cycles ofthe third signal to create a 50/50 duty cycle when the desired divisionratio is odd-valued.
 19. The device of claim 14, wherein the firstcounter is a 3-bit counter.
 20. The device of claim 14, wherein a dutycycle of the third signal is programmed by at least one of adjusting aload value of at least one of the counters and adjusting a default valueof at least one of the counters.
 21. A device for dividing a frequency,comprising: a first digital counter configured to receive a first signalhaving a first frequency as a clock input; a second digital counterconfigured to receive a second signal as a clock input, the secondcounter having a higher counting capacity than the first counter, thesecond signal being output when the first counter reaches a first numberof count cycles; an output arrangement configured to generate a thirdsignal having a high cycle and a low cycle, which are determined atleast as a function of the first number of count cycles, the thirdsignal having a frequency lower than the first frequency, wherein thehigh and low cycles of the third signal are determined as a function ofthe first number of count cycles when a desired division ratio does notexceed a threshold value, and as a function of both the first number ofcount cycles and a second number of count cycles associated with thesecond counter when the desired division ratio exceeds the thresholdvalue; and a toggling arrangement configured to: when the thresholdvalue is not exceeded, toggle the third signal between high and lowvalues when the first number of count cycles is reached, and when thethreshold value is exceeded, toggle the third signal between the highand low values only when both the first number of count cycles and thesecond number of count cycles are reached.
 22. A device for dividing afrequency, comprising: a first digital counter configured to receive afirst signal having a first frequency as a clock input; a second digitalcounter configured to receive a second signal as a clock input, thesecond counter having a higher counting capacity than the first counter,the second signal being output when the first counter reaches a firstnumber of count cycles; and an output arrangement configured to generatea third signal having a high cycle and a low cycle, which are determinedat least as a function of the first number of count cycles, the thirdsignal having a frequency lower than the first frequency; and a dutycycle adjustment arrangement configured to adjust durations of the highand low cycles of the third signal to create a 50/50 duty cycle when thedesired division ratio is odd-valued, wherein the adjustment arrangementincludes a latch configured to latch the third signal using the firstsignal as a clock input, an edge-triggering of the clock input of thelatch being opposite that of the clock input to the first counter. 23.The device of claim 22, wherein a final output signal is generated byperforming a logical OR operation on the third signal and the latchedthird signal.
 24. A device for dividing a frequency, comprising: a firstdigital counter configured to receive a first signal having a firstfrequency as a clock input; a second digital counter configured toreceive a second signal as a clock input, the second counter having ahigher counting capacity than the first counter, the second signal beingoutput when the first counter reaches a first number of count cycles;and an output arrangement configured to generate a third signal having ahigh cycle and a low cycle, which are determined at least as a functionof the first number of count cycles, the third signal having a frequencylower than the first frequency, wherein the output arrangement includesa master-slave flip-flop selectively configured to operate between afirst mode in which an output of the flip-flop is the third signal and asecond mode in which an output of the flip-flop matches the firstsignal.
 25. The device of claim 24, wherein the first and second modesare selected by independently controlling set and reset inputs of amaster latch and a slave latch of theflip-flop in conjunction withcontrolling an input of the master latch.
 26. A device for dividing afrequency, comprising: a first digital counter configured to receive afirst signal having a first frequency as a clock input; a second digitalcounter configured to receive a second signal as a clock input, thesecond counter having a higher counting capacity than the first counter,the second signal being output when the first counter reaches a firstnumber of count cycles; and an output arrangement configured to generatea third signal having a high cycle and a low cycle, which are determinedat least as a function of the first number of count cycles, the thirdsignal having a frequency lower than the first frequency, wherein aphase offset of the third signal is programmed by at least one ofcontrolling a set input of at least one of the counters, controlling areset input of at least one of the counters, adjusting a load value ofat least one of the counters, and adjusting a default value of at leastone of the counters.